Construction companies spend thousands and thousands of dollars each year on tools, but many of them are lost, damaged, or mismanaged, leading to even more money being spent on replacements or loss of time labor time searching for the necessary tools. Tools are so integral to a project being on time and under budget, but it’s extremely difficult to manage a large inventory that’s constantly moving.

That’s the problem that Milwaukee Tool hopes to solve with their upcoming release of ONE-KEY, a web-based mobile tool management platform. While the program was created by Milwaukee, it’s still important to note that any brand of tool can be loaded into the software for reporting purposes.

“The first phase of ONE-KEY™ will deliver 3 core benefits that will have an immediate impact on productivity: tool control, inventory management and tool reporting,” says Christian Coulis, Vice President of Product Management for Milwaukee Tool. These 3 benefits will roll out over time with separate releases.

Inventory Management – September 2015

The first ONE-KEY release will be the free ONE-KEY Inventory Management app, which will be available on both Android and iOs. With the app, companies will be able to keep detailed records of all of their tools, even non-Milwaukee brand, which will allow them to manage budgets and even assign owners to each tool to increase accountability. Because it’s a web-based and mobile platform, all updates will synchronize in real time, giving companies instant access to data on their tools.

Tool Reporting – October 2015

Combined with the release of Milwaukee’s M18 Force Logic 6T Utility Crimpers, the manufacturer will also release the second phase of One-Key, Tool Reporting. The utility crimpers will be the first of the line of tools to be able to connect to the application wirelessly, allowing the user to create reports that track the success and timing of electrical terminations. This promises to reduce downtime of a tool, because it can assist and track service intervals.

Tool Control – January 2016

The third phase of the initial ONE-KEY rollout will be released in conjunction with new Milwaukee M18 Fuel Drilling and Driving products. Tool Control will allow the user to use the ONE-KEY app on their phone to customize speed and torque settings to make customized user profiles for a specific task with just the touch of a button.

“If you think about the number of fasteners that require different speeds and torques, or the amount of repetitive applications that our users experience on a daily basis, there are hundreds of different tool profiles and setups that can be implemented,” says Coulis. “Tool Control will give users infinite customization capabilities for various applications, allowing them to make small tweaks that make a huge difference.”

At Milwaukee Tool’s yearly New Product Symposium (NPS) media event in May of 2018, the tool manufacturer was excited to announce what they call “The Next Breakthrough.” Harnessing the latest battery technology, Milwaukee launched the supercharged – and supersized – 18-volt 12.0ah battery, which they have promised will provide 50% more power, run 50% cooler, and provide 33% more runtime versus their previous most powerful battery, the HD9.0.

Craftsman tools have been an American tradition since the 1920s. Like many families, I grew up watching my father and grandfather work with Craftsman tools and my very first set of tools was from the same brand. In the midst of Sears’ colossal and current downfall, the iconic tool brand was sold to Stanley Black & Decker (SBD), who also owns DeWALT, Lenox, Porter Cable, and Stanley, among others, in early 2017. A couple months later, that sale was finalized.

I’ve seen a lot of giveaway contests for tools over the past few years, including several that we’ve done one Construction Junkie, but the contest that Bosch announced this morning is one of the biggest ever. 2,000 people are going to be given the chance to win The Freak, which is Bosch’s two-in-one impactor that combines a ¼” hex impact driver and a ½” square driver impact wrench.

After heavily focusing on the mechanical trades for years, Milwaukee Tool has made a concerted effort to attract carpenters and remodelers to their constantly growing M18 battery platform. The tool manufacturer has introduced cordless miter saws and nail guns in recent years. They also announced several more carpentry tools are on their way at their yearly New Product Symposium event in May, including a new D-handle jig saw, a table saw, and an updated 7-¼” circular saw.

One of the most highly versatile and useful pieces of equipment on any construction site is a compact loader, also known as a skid steer, or “Bobcat.” They're also the piece of equipment most often stolen from jobsites, due to their size and availability. There’s an inherent choice you have to make when choosing a compact loader, however, and it can make all the difference: tracks or wheels?

Proper lighting is one of the most overlooked things on a construction site. Sure, most sites have some overhead lighting, but with a minimum of only 5 loot candles required by OSHA in general construction areas, there’s a lot left to be desired. Milwaukee Tool is, by far, the leader in the construction lighting category based on shear volume and quality of their lighting solutions.

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